New Arkansas Parole Board regulations have gone into effect to reduce the number of parolees sent back to prison.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1RzKrdQ ) reports that the regulations took effect Thursday. The regulations say that a hearing for a parolee will not be scheduled until there has been a conviction or some other finding that a parole violation has occurred, except in cases involving allegations of violence.

The Taliban has suspended talks over a possible exchange of Taliban and U.S. prisoners due to the "complexity" of the situation in Afghanistan, the militant group said on Sunday.

"Due to the political complexity of the current situation in the country, the leadership of the Islamic Emirate has decided to suspend the issue for some time," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an email to media organizations, using the name the Taliban gave their 1996-2001 government.